DRC: Ivahoe Mines totals 95,000 tonnes of copper in pre-production with its kamoa-Kakula project
Ivanhoe Mines Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng “Miles” Sun announced on Monday March 1 that underground ore production at the Kamoa-Kakula copper project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has for the first time exceeded requirements in steady state of the Phase 1 mill of 3.8 million tonnes per year (Mtpa). In February, the project mined and stored 339,000 tonnes of ore grading 5.50% copper from the Kakula and Kansoko mines. Tonnage was 13% higher than in January, while copper content continued to rise, a company statement reported.
The 339,000 tonnes mined in February included 47,300 tonnes at 4.62% copper from the Kansoko mine, setting a new monthly production record at Kansoko. The total tonnage mined also includes 107,000 tonnes at 9.01% copper from the high grade center of the Kakula mine.
The project’s pre-production surface stocks now contain approximately 2.16 million tonnes of high and medium grade ore at an estimated blending average of 4.44% copper. Copper in inventories increased by about 19,000 tonnes in February – a 19.2% increase from January production – to a cumulative total of over 95,000 tonnes (current copper price is approximately US $ 9,100 per tonne).
Kamoa-Kakula is on track to have more than three million tonnes of high and medium grade ore stored on the surface, containing more than 125,000 tonnes of contained copper, ahead of the scheduled start of processing in July 2021.
The Kamoa-Kakula copper project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the government of the DRC (20 %).
